“There is a common misconception that usability equals common sense, but actually usability is more than common sense. Although the definition of usability is closely related to logical relevance and common sense, it is very unwise just to rely on common sense in ensuring the usability of a product. Using common sense is not only unwise but sometimes also dangerously misleading.” – Adi B. Tedjasaputra

Two quotes for today to show two differing views of “simplicity” (interestingly, the quote in favor of simplicity is shorter and, well, more simple!). Should we aim for simplicity no matter what, or should we focus on clairity, even if it adds some complexity? Is simplicity always clear? Is it always creative?

“The most important goal of effective communication is clarity. Clarity is not the same as simplicity … Complexity can be made to appear clear by effective organization and presentation and need not be reduced to meaningless “bite-sized” chunks of data, as simplification usually does. Clarity refers to the focus on one particular message or goal at a time, rather than attempting to accomplish too much at once. Simplicity is often responsible for the “dumbing” of information rather than the illumination of it.” – Michael Hoffman

Edit: I just noticed there were several typos in this quote – it has been updated with the correct words. Sorry about that!

“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.” – Steve Jobs

“When we’re trying to understand our ‘users’ and ‘customers,’ we have to remember that they’re people just like us, and just like us they regularly cross understood boundaries and categories… People are inconsistent, often inarticulate, and they challenge social and cultural boundaries in unexpected ways.” – Subject to Change by Peter Merholz, Brandon Schauer, David Verba, and Todd Wilkens

Subject to Change by four great folks at Adaptive Path is a fabulous look at customer experience and how focusing on it can transform companies. I highly recommend it!

“We can’t forget that customers don’t view a company in terms of silos or business units. They couldn’t care less about how an organization is structured. What they want is an intuitive experience that draws them into an experience that excites their senses.” – Judy McLeish